Exemplary embodiments of the invention are directed to a transport rack and/or storage rack, and arrangement of a transport rack and/or storage rack on a base plate.
The present invention relates to a transport rack and/or storage rack for standing transport or standing storage of plate-shaped goods, especially windows, doors, glass panes or stone slabs, as well as an arrangement of a transport rack and/or storage rack on a base plate.
Generic transport racks and/or storage racks are known for example from German patent documents DE 10 2011 053 460 A1 and DE 100 10 325 A1.
The transport rack and/or storage rack disclosed in DE 10 2011 053 460 A1 substantially consists of two a-shaped frame parts with upright bars arranged at an acute angle with respect to each other, on which the plate-shaped elements such as glass panels can be leaned. Base strips are fixed to the upright bars formed as square tube profiles, on which fastening means are welded which engage around a transverse board of a Euro pallet.
DE 100 10 325 A1 discloses a transport frame, in which the frame parts are made of profiled steel and is formed as a folding apparatus, connected to each other by joints.
Both frames have a common disadvantage in that they require a large amount of storage place. In particular, these transport frames are further relatively expensive to purchase as a result of their material and their joints etc.
The frames according to DE 10 2011 053 460 A1 can only be fixed to specific pallets, especially Euro pallets, as a result of the fastening means welded onto the base strips, because they are placed in gaps between the cover boards of the pallet. Furthermore, the pallet must comprise transverse boards oriented perpendicularly to the cover boards and surrounded by the fastening means for fixing the frames.
The return transport of such transport frames is also relatively expensive as a result of their relatively high need for space and their large mass.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a transport rack and/or storage rack for the standing transport and/or standing storage of plate-shaped goods, as well as an arrangement of a transport rack and/or storage rack on a base plate, which can be produced at low cost and can be transported (back) at low cost.
According to one aspect of the invention, the transport rack and/or storage rack comprises at least two support elements. A standing strip is arranged on a first end of each of the support elements, which standing strip is removably fastenable to a base plate, in particular a pallet, while resting thereon.
The support elements are formed as single or multipart plates, having two leaning edges approaching each other at an acute angle away from a base side arranged on the standing strip. Furthermore, the support elements are connected to each other by at least one crossbar that is attachable to the support elements.
Such a transport rack and/or storage rack can be produced and designed in an exceptionally cost-effective manner because it can be assembled and disassembled with the simplest means.
The capability for simplified disassembly offers the further major advantage that a return transport of such a transport rack and/or storage rack after use can occur in an exceptionally compact way by taking the transport rack and/or storage rack apart.
The ability to attach the crossbar contributes to the simple mounting and dismounting of the transport rack and/or storage rack and also ensures an adequately stable connection between the support elements.
As a result of the cost-effective production, the transport rack and/or storage rack in accordance with the invention can generally be used as a so-called single-use frame, so that a return transport of the transport rack and/or storage rack is merely optional.
It can also be considered, as a result of the cost-effective production of the transport rack and/or storage rack in accordance with the invention, to use a so-called single-use pallet and to entirely forgo a return transport of the transport rack and/or storage rack.
This ensures that it is not necessary to exchange transport racks and/or storage racks or the base plates in the case of a delivery of plate-shaped goods with a transport rack and/or storage rack in accordance with the invention.
Especially in the case of customers that do not have any Euro pallets on stock for the exchange of goods, the use of the transport rack and/or storage rack in accordance with the invention, in conjunction with a single-use pallet, allows a simple and uncomplicated delivery of plate-shaped goods without having to exchange transport racks and/or storage racks and/or pallets, or having to deposit collateral for the transport racks and/or storage racks and/or pallets.
According to an aspect of the invention, the first end of the support elements comprises a protrusion formed in the manner of a trapeze and accommodated in a respectively shaped recess of the standing strip, extending away from a base side of the respective support element, said base side resting on the standing strip.
This leads to an exceptionally stable connection between the spanning strip and the support element.
According to an aspect of the invention, the transport rack and/or storage rack comprises at least two support elements. A standing strip is arranged at a first end of each of the support elements, which standing strip is removably fastenable to a base plate, especially a pallet.
Each of the support elements comprises at least one recess, through which a fastening strap can be guided for fixing the plate-shaped goods, wherein the recess comprises two grooves extending away from an opening, whose inner boundary is delimited by a tongue extending in the longitudinal direction of the support element from an edge of the recess to the opening, wherein a loop of the fastening strap, with which the plate-shaped article can be fixed to the support element and the base plate, can be guided through the grooves while engaging behind the tongue.
A recess formed in this manner allows an exceptionally stable fixing of the plate-shaped item to be transported on the support element and the base plate. By fixing the item with a fastening strap, the connection between the standing strip, the support element and the base plate is additionally reinforced.
According to one aspect of the invention, at least one crossbar comprises several slots arranged on a longitudinal edge, which allows a variable distance of the support element from each other.
In a preferred embodiment, the slots are arranged in pairs adjacent to each other, wherein the width of a first slot of a pair of slots is greater than the width of a second slot of a pair of slots, wherein the first slot is formed as a receiving slot for accommodating an upper edge or a leaning edge of the support element and the second slot as an expansion slot.
This promotes the mounting of the crossbar on the support element. Furthermore, the expansion slots allow a compensation of production tolerances concerning the material thickness of the support elements.
For the purpose of retaining the support elements on the standing strip, the first end of each support element is preferably retained in an interlocking manner on the standing strip at least along the base side of the support element.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the leaning edges of the support elements are equally long and are preferably formed under the same acute angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the support elements. With such a transport rack and/or storage rack, the plate-shaped goods can be transported and/or stored in a leaning manner on both sides on the support elements.
According to an alternative embodiment, the first leaning edge of each support element is oriented perpendicularly to the base side of the plate, wherein the plate-shaped goods can be leaned on a second leaning edge. The second leaning edge extends at an acute angle from a base side arranged on the standing strip towards the first leaning edge. With such a transport rack and/or storage rack, the plate-shaped goods can be transported and/or stored in a leaning manner on one side on one of the leaning edges of the support elements.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the support elements are formed as trapezoidal plates, having an upper edge parallel to the base side, on which the at least one crossbar is mounted.
The support elements, the at least one crossbar and the standing strip are made in an especially preferred way from wood, metal or a dimensionally stable base material, which ensures a simple and cost-effective production of the transport rack and/or storage rack.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the support elements comprises at least one recess, through which fastening straps can be guided for fixing the plate-shaped goods. The recess is preferably formed in a round manner, but polygonal (e.g. trapezoidal) recesses can also be considered.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, stops are arranged at the ends of the support surface, which stops are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction and which prevent slippage of the plate-shaped goods from the leaning edges.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the width of the tongue close to the free end of the tongue is greater than the width of the tongue close to the root of the tongue. This prevents slippage of the fastening strap enclosing the tongue, especially during transport, in which numerous jolts and vibrations of the transport rack and/or storage rack occur as a result of bumpy roads.
The arrangement of a transport rack and/or storage rack in accordance with the invention on a base plate, especially a pallet, especially a single-use pallet, is characterized in that the standing strip, in a state where the transport rack and/or storage rack is fixed to a base plate, is fixed in a friction-locked manner to the base plate by means of a tensioning strap.
Such a tensioning strap provides a simple and cost-effective fixing of the support elements fixed to the standing strip.
The tensioning strap is preferably formed as a tensioning belt, steel belt or plastic band.